Tanner

Tanner was born in March 2013 and found abandoned when he was about a week old. He’s been diagnosed with post-operative congenital heart disease (VSD), microtia of the left ear, umbilical hernia (self healed) and asymmetric crying syndrome (an extremely rare disorder characterized by congenital heart defects and the underdevelopment or absence of one of the muscles that control the movements of the lower lip.)

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SPECIAL FOCUS CHILD RELEASED TO THE SHARED LIST

Tanner’s report was written when he was 2 years old. He was described as being active, naughty, but lovely, and a sturdy child. He was able to crawl on hands and knees, walk steadily, climb up and down and jump. He could point to body parts when asked and take off his clothes. He was fond of listening to music and playing games. His asymmetric cry syndrome is only noticeable when he cries but didn’t seem to have any influence on his life and health. When he laughs he looks handsome. Tanner is outgoing and welcomes people with warm arms so visitors always like him and are impressed by him. He likes playing with balls and understands a lot of what is being said to him by adults. He is able to follow instructions. He liked to imitate and used words to express his needs, but compared to his peers his language development was somewhat slower. He was able to say mom clearly. His gross and fine motor skills were good and he is independent.

MARCH 2016 UPDATE BELOW:

In December 2015 it was found that Tanner was more likely to fatigue so he received surgery for his congenital heart disease. His update states that his body has been restored and the frequency of fatigue was significantly reduced. It was mentioned that he never received treatment for his umbilical hernia but with growth it self healed.

Tanner was described as being active and lively. He played well with other children and liked to play with building blocks, balls, twist cars and slides. He also enjoyed painting and listening to music. He knew his name and would look around when it was called to find the source, even if the sound was behind him. He could understand simple instructions from adults. His fingers are flexible and he could eat on his own and draw with a pen on paper. He was independent and could take off his clothes.

Tanner’s cognitive ability and logical thinking ability was said to be slightly behind compared to his peers. If given instructions to perform two actions he would only do the second. If directions were given one at a time he could perform them. His language development was delayed and unclear and only people who know him can understand him. He could say simple words but wasn’t speaking in sentences, however, he has made great progress compared to last year. He has been living in a group foster home where he receives early education classes and develops good habits.

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FEBRUARY 2017 UPDATE BELOW:

How are his cognitive abilities compared to his peers? His cognitive abilities is a little behind compared with his peers. He knows the names and usage of the basic things. He can understand most of what the teacher sand caregivers say but sometimes he would not follow the instructions or he will do it very slowly. He has good memories. He is the only kid who can finish all the dancing movements of a Chinese song from the beginning to the end in our organization. However, he shows low level of concentration. When the teacher is telling a story or the kids are doing handcraft it is not easy for him to sit for a while, and he will often stand up or wander in the classroom.

Is he able to understand and follow two-part directions? He can understand and follow the two-part directions if you repeat the directions for several times or you show him how to do.

Is his speech more clear now? I’m afraid not. He can speak more words, but all the pronunciation are slurred. You have to make a guess what he is talking about if you are not familiar with the way he talks.

Is he speaking in sentences? He can speak very simple sentences such as I want drink water, but also not clear.

How does his speaking ability compare to other children his age? Compared with his peers his speaking ability is far behind. He can only say some simple words such as aunt, sister and some names of his friends in slurred way.

Have doctors recommended any further surgery? If so, when do they recommend it be done? We did not receive any further surgery suggestions from the doctor but they said that he needs more language training.

Does he tire easily or have the same energy level as other children his age? He is a naughty boy with full of energy. He is fond of running, riding bikes or playing with his friends.

Does he get along well with other children? Yes, he likes playing with his friends. There is a lovely girl he likes very much. This girl is two years older then him and he likes to be with her and follow what she does.

Do you feel his hearing ability is normal? His right ear is normal, but if you talk to him from his left side he may not hear what you are talking.

Please describe his personality. He is a naughty, energetic and sensitive boy. He likes all kinds of sports, such as balls, bikes, scooter and children’s slide. But as we found his balance ability is not very good because he is easy to fall down when he is running. He likes to try everything new to him. He can never be quiet for a while. He likes to play with kids older than him. At the same time, he will often cry a lot if he is not satisfied with something or he is punished by the teachers, but it is getting better.